Latest: Person Street at Cedar Creek Road flooded

Tuesday

Live updates from The Fayetteville Observer's reporters and photographers across the Sandhills covering the Florence flooding disaster.

Update: 8:00 a.m.

Person Street at Cedar Creek Road has flooded. Floodwaters appear to have gotten into Kelly’s Cleaners and Mr. Clean Washerette and were threatening the Express Mart.

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• The Cape Fear River appears to have crested at 3 a.m. in Fayetteville

• First responders are looking for a body in Cedar Creek

• 134 people rescued in water rescues so far

• 807 people in Cumberland County shelters

4 a.m.: River rises to new crest

After receding slightly from its 1:30 a.m. peak, the Cape Fear River at Fayetteville rose to a new peak of 61.54 feet at 3 a.m., the Nation Weather Service reported.

3 a.m.: Cape Fear River crests at 61.51 feet in Fayetteville

The Cape Fear River crested at 61.51 feet around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Fayetteville, or 26.61 feet above flood stage.

A photo taken by Sgt. Shawn Strepay of the Fayetteville Police Department showed waves on the river lapping against a railroad trestle just south of the Person Street Bridge.

According to the National Weather Service, the river level dropped to 61.48 feet by 2 a.m. The forecast calls for the Cape Fear River to recede slowly on Wednesday — staying above 60 feet most of the day — and fall more rapidly after sunrise Thursday.

Flood stage is 35 feet. The river is not expected to drop below flood stage until 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Person Street Bridge was closed Tuesday evening due to the high water and remained closed overnight. As of 2 a.m., the Grove Street and Business 95 bridges over the Cape Fear river remained open, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation, although much of Interstate 95 itself remained closed due to flooding.

In the Manchester area by Spring Lake, the Little River was reported to be at 35.2 feet at 8 p.m. Tuesday, or more than 18 feet higher than flood stage. The forecast called it to rise to 39.5 feet by 8 a.m. Wednesday.

12:43 a.m.: Cape Fear River rises above predicted Fayetteville crest

At midnight, the Cape Fear River at Fayetteville was at 61.4 feet, slightly higher than the most-recent predicted crest, according to the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network.

A forecast late Tuesday estimated it would crest at 61.3 feet by 2 a.m. It had reached 61.3 feet by 10 p.m.

Flood stage is 35 feet.

If the river does not continue to rise, it's expected to begin going down, but stay above 60 feet most of Wednesday. It’s not expected to drop below flood stage until 2 p.m. Saturday.

12:10 a.m.: 134 rescued; 807 in shelters

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, 134 people, 10 dogs, two cats and one horse have been assisted from flooding through water rescues in Cumberland County, county spokeswoman Sally Shutt reported.

And as of 10 p.m., 807 people were staying in the eight shelters in Cumberland County, Shutt said.

The totals:

• College Lakes: 22

• Kiwanis Recreation Center: 115

• Mac Williams Middle School: 66

• Pine Forest High School (Pet Friendly): 250

• Seventy-First High School: 49

• Smith Recreation Center: 64

• South View High School (Pet Friendly): 205

• W. T. Brown Elementary School: 36

The pet friendly shelters also are housing 91 pets, including a rabbit and two birds, Shutt said.

11:40 p.m.: Search for a body; river is at predicted level of cresting

The report from the gauge on the Cape Fear River in Fayetteville says it reached 61.3 feet by 10 p.m., and that is its latest predicted crest level. The forecast estimates it will stay at or above 61.3 feet until at least 2 a.m. and start falling afterward.

8:44 p.m.; MREs, water will be available in Robeson County

Meals Ready to Eat and water will be available to Robeson County residents at 6 p.m. Wednesday at these locations:

• A countywide curfew, including Clinton, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. remains in effect. Roseboro is no longer under a curfew.

• Monitoring of the Black River at the southern end of the county continues. The prior record flood stage was 27.9 feet, but on Monday, the Black River near Tomahawk topped the 30-foot mark. Recording data stopped when the gauge broke. However, state officials say the river could rise to 52.5 feet; flood stage for the river is 18 feet.

• Sampson County has opened an emergency shelter for residents of the Garland and Harrells are who are being evacuated because of flooding. The shelter is open only to flood-water evacuees. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 52 people were housed at the shelter. A total of 153 people remained in the two operating shelters as of 4 p.m.

• The U.S. Coast Guard and the N.C. National Guard's Swift Water Rescue Team are conducting rescue missions in the southern part of the county.

• As of 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, 22 percent of the county remained without power. A total of 9,938 outages were being reported. That number includes 7,381 outages reported by Duke Energy; 2,244 reported by Four County Electric Membership Corp.; and 313 reported by South River Electric Membership Corp.

• Solid Waste Convenience Collection sites will remain closed until they can be evaluated. Additional containers will be put at the entrance of the main Sampson County Landfill on N.C. 24 for residents who can access the area.

6:53 p.m.: Shelter updates

• Robeson County reports that the Red Springs High School shelter is open.

• In Sampson County, shelter operations have been consolidated. Available shelters are Clinton High School 340 Indian Town Road, Clinton; Midway High School, 15274 Spivey’s Corner Highway, Dunn; Sampson Middle School, 1201 West Elizabeth St., Clinton.

A special needs shelter remains open at Sampson County Adult Day Care. People with special medical needs should contact Emergency Management at 910-592-8996.

Service animals are allowed at Sampson general population shelters; however, other pets are not. Pet sheltering is offered at the Sampson County Livestock Arena, 93 Agriculture Place, Clinton. This shelter is manned by County staff familiar with animal handling.

People who want to have their pet sheltered must have proof that the animal’s rabies vaccinations are current. If they are not, vaccinations will be made available at a cost to the owner, with fees paid at the time the pet is presented for sheltering. The pet shelter will have cages, food and water. Animals will be registered, photographed, and have an ID tag before they are placed in a cage for their safety. Pets that become unruly and aggressive or show signs of a contagious condition may be moved to the adjacent Sampson County Animal Shelter. All pets must be picked up from the pet shelter within three hours after the general population shelters close.

5:50 p.m.: Lee County road closed

The N.C. Department of Transportation Tuesday closed the section of U.S. 15-501/N.C. 87 over the Deep River north of Sanford as a precaution against rising floodwaters from Florence.

While the roadway was dry Tuesday afternoon, DOT officials want to ensure the road remains safe and does not flood overnight.

River gauges are currently unable to give an accurate reading. Based on the estimates, the Lumber River crested at just over 25 feet Monday evening.

• There are currently 1,271 evacuees in six Robeson shelters.

• All residents still have access to water. People in Lumberton are being asked to conserve water. County residents on county water should continue to boil water for one minute before drinking. All other townships and municipalities not on the county system are reportedly fine.

• A curfew for all residents is still in effect from 8 p.m. today until 7 a.m. Wednesday. Officials will let residents know when it changes.

• County officials are recommending residents use the Ready NC app, Waze, or NCDOT to check on property and loved ones.

5:35 p.m.: Spring Lake closed

The Town of Spring Lake, including Town Hall, the Senior Center and the Recreation Center, will be closed Wednesday.

The town is under a curfew from 7 p.m. Tuesday until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

5:30 p.m.: Person Street bridge closed

The state Department of Transportation has closed the Person Street bridge over the Cape Fear River in downtown Fayetteville, and the DOT at 6 p.m. plans to close Interstate 95 from mile marker 46 to 56, over the Cape Fear.

Transportation officials are also monitoring the nearby Grove Street bridge over the Cape Fear in Fayetteville. If the water level reaches the girders which support the deck, the department will close that bridge.

With the impending closure, I-95 will be closed in both directions between exits 13 and 56 and between exits 65 and 81. Near Rocky Mount, southbound traffic is being detoured off the freeway at exit 138 and being sent to Charlotte and into South Carolina.

State transportation officials will continue to monitor water levels and open I-95 as soon as possible. Closed sections of U.S. 74 in Columbus and Robeson counties are also flooded.

“We have to wait for floodwaters to recede before inspections can be performed to make sure it is safe to reopen roads to motorists.” said Drew Cox, the Division 6 maintenance engineer.

DOT officials are urging people to avoid driving in southeastern North Carolina, where rivers are rising and numerous roads are impassable.

Here's a rundown of major closures in the department's Division 6 as of Tuesday morning, in addition to I-95 and U.S. 74:

The area has more than 200 secondary roads with washouts or closures in the hurricane’s wake. The number of closures has been rising this week as flooding inundates the division’s counties. The division has 350 employees, plus engineering firms and contractors, working in the Florence recovery effort.

The area sustained some of the worst damage in North Carolina. Across the state, there are more than 1,000 road closures, including Interstate 40, as well as numerous highways and other primary routes. While road conditions are starting to improve in some parts of the state, rising creeks, streams and rivers continue to make travel unsafe in many areas of North Carolina, the DOT said.

4:45

Fayetteville PWC monitoring water, sewer plants

Even though the P.O. Hoffer Water Treatment Facility is on the Cape Fear River, it's on a higher section of land, so officials believe it will make it through the rise of the river. But they are monitoring it closely, said Carolyn Justice-Hinson, communications officer for the Fayetteville Public Works Commission.

"The drinking water plants, we expect them to be safe," she said.

Justice-Hinson said estimates show that the river water levels would have to rise to 65 to 66 feet to pose a threat to the plants, and the last estimate has the river cresting at 61.6 inches at 2 a.m. Wednesday. "We feel the plant will be safe but we are watching it," she said.

The Rockfish Creek wastewater treatment facility, which discharges treated wastewater into the river, has had some backwash from the river rising. Justice-Hinson said it is still working OK and they are monitoring it carefully.

"We are seeing some issues with the water coming in from the river being pushed back into the plant, but it is still operational. We are just watching it," she said.

She said the latest figures show there are between 1,500 and 2,000 PWC customers without electricity. That number was at 50,000 a couple of days ago. "We've made pretty good progress today, she said, adding that they are trying to get power turned on by this evening for a couple of hundred customers near Fayetteville Technical Community College.

4:35 p.m.

Curfews lifted in city and county tonight

The City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County have lifted curfews put in place during Hurricane Florence.

All Cumberland County government offices and the court system will be closed Wednesday.

Solid Waste landfills and container sites will be open Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the exception of the Manchester Road site. That will remain closed until further notice.

All Cumberland County Public Library locations will be closed. Officials are asking people not to return any library materials to any library location until further notice. Fines that are accrued during this weather event and its aftermath will be forgiven, a county press release states.

All court dates will be rescheduled. Individuals may also check www.nccourts.org under the “Court Calendars” tab 48 hours after the courthouse reopens for new court dates.

The Cape Fear and Little Rivers continue to rise. As of 3 p.m. today, the Cape Fear River was at 60.63 feet. Current measurements for the Little River are unavailable due to the inoperability of the gauge. The last measurement, taken yesterday at 6:30 p.m., showed the river at 39.95 feet. The Cape Fear River is predicted to crest at 2 a.m. Wednesday.

4:29 p.m.

Transportation officials deal with numerous challenges

State transportation crews are fanning out across the rural Piedmont counties, clearing fallen trees and inspecting and repairing roads where floodwaters from Florence have receded.

As of Tuesday, 12 primary routes and 108 secondary routes remained impassable across Highway Division 8, which comprises Chatham, Lee, Moore, Richmond, Hoke, Montgomery, Randolph and Scotland counties. That figure is down from more than 200 closures Monday.

The current closures include portions of these highways:

• Richmond County: N.C. 73 and N.C. 109

• Moore County: N.C 22, NC 24/27 and N.C. 690

• Scotland County: N.C. 144; U.S. 401 in multiple locations throughout the county, U.S. 401 Business at the South Carolina line; and U.S. 501 at three locations near Robeson County

• Hoke County: U.S. 401 Business

“Our crews have been working hard since the storm struck to get our roads safely reopened as quickly as possible,” said Chuck Dumas, the Division 8 maintenance engineer said. “We are beginning to see floodwaters recede, so we’ll be able to reopen more roads soon.”

Transportation officials urged people to never drive through flood waters. Drivers who come across a road with barricades should not attempt to drive around them or move them. Instead, turn around and seek an alternate route.

The division sustained some of the worst damage in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Statewide, there are more than 1,000 road closures, including interstates 95 and 40, as well as numerous highways and other primary routes. While road conditions are starting to improve in some parts of the state, rising creeks, streams and rivers continue to make travel unsafe in many areas of North Carolina.

In the harder-hit counties of Montgomery, Richmond, Moore and Scotland, a dozen bridges are closed today because of high floodwaters. Battling the aftermath of Florence are more than 200 maintenance and bridge employees in the division for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

A bridge on N.C. 210 south of Lillington has been reopened, according to Harnett County officials.

State Department of Transportation workers were evaluating a bridge earlier to see if that section of the road between Lillington and Spring Lake can be reopened. The bridge reopened about 3:30 p.m., according to a post on the county’s Facebook page.

Assistant County Manager Brian Haney said water from the Upper Little River had overtaken the bridge, but county officials were hoping the water will recede so the road can reopen. The bridge is south of Lillington near Joel Johnson Road and McNeill Hobbs Road.

Other sections of N.C. 210 remain closed, according to the DOT website.

More than 40 roads are closed in Harnett County, according to the website, with travel in the southern part near the Little River being especially difficult. The closures include Interstate 95, U.S. 301, N.C. 82, N.C. 217, U.S. 401, and N.C. 87.

County officials continue to stress that travellers should not remove barriers on roads.

“We’re seeing it all over the place,” Haney said. “It’s very dangerous.”

County officials are urging residents to stay off the roads in parts of the county where flooding is taking place.

‘We would like to keep the roads in those areas open for utility companies and emergency vehicles only,” a post on the county’s Facebook page says. “This is not the time to go sightseeing for areas that were affected by rising waters.”

Harnett County officials have lifted a mandatory evacuation order for the Keith Hills neighborhood. An evacuation order for residents who live near the Little River remains in effect.

3:55 p.m.

Transportation officials evaluate bridges

State Department of Transportation workers are evaluating a bridge on N.C. 210 to see if the road between Lillington and Spring Lake can be reopened.

Assistant County Manager Brian Haney said water from the Upper Little River had overtaken the bridge, but county officials are hoping the water will recede so the road can reopen. The bridge is south of Lillington near Joel Johnson Road and McNeill Hobbs Road.

More than 40 roads are closed in county, according to the DOT website, with travel in the southern part near the Little River being especially difficult. The closures include Interstate 95, U.S. 301, N.C. 82, N.C. 217, U.S. 401, N.C. 210 and N.C. 87.

County officials continue to stress that travellers should not remove barriers on roads.

“We’re seeing it all over the place,” Haney said. “It’s very dangerous.”

County officials are urging residents to stay off the roads in parts of the county where flooding is taking place.

‘We would like to keep the roads in those areas open for utility companies and emergency vehicles only,” a post on the county’s Facebook page says. “This is not the time to go sightseeing for areas that were affected by rising waters.”

Harnett County officials have lifted a mandatory evacuation order for the Keith Hills neighborhood. An evacuation order for residents who live near the Little River remains in effect.

Haney said 15 water rescues have been performed in the county since Friday. A 16th was in process Tuesday afternoon, he said.

3:08 p.m.: River coming close to homes off Ramsey Street

In at least one neighborhood off Ramsey Street in Fayetteville, water from the Cape Fear River was getting perilously close to reaching houses that back up to it.

At the end of Rivercliff Road, off Eastwood Avenue south of Reid Ross High School, water had come up to Chung Boone’s driveway. Boone has been monitoring the level of the Cape Fear, which is expected to crest at 2 a.m. Wednesday. About 3 p.m. Tuesday, Boone said the river would rise about 15 more inches. He was planning to leave his home soon.

“It’s kind of like a Super Bowl,” he said. “It’s the fourth quarter. It’s got 15 more inches to rise. It’s goal line.”

A few doors away, William Gibson said he had stopped to check on his house and was leaving soon. The area has been under mandatory evacuation since 3 a.m. Sunday, and Fayetteville police were on the street to check on residents.

The National Weather Service has slightly adjusted its flooding figures for the Cape Fear River.

The river is expected to crest at 61.6 feet at 2 a.m. Wednesday, slightly up from the 61.5-foot estimate this morning. As of 2:45 p.m., the river was 60.45 feet, up from 59.15 feet at 7 a.m. this morning.

“There are still additional impacts that will be felt as it continues to rise,” said Terry Click with the weather service in Raleigh.

The river is expected to be at 61 feet at 7 a.m. Wednesday; 54.9 feet at 7 a.m. Thursday; 44.1 inches at 7 a.m. Friday; and 33.9 feet at 7 a.m. on Saturday, which is below flood stage. “As always, we can adjust these numbers,” he said.

1:00 p.m.: Flooding near Linden

On Elliott Bridge Road in northern Cumberland County, two vehicles sat abandoned because of rushing water.

Nick Wheeler, who owns Redline Towing and Redline Tire and Auto, said the vehicles were left there Monday night. His tow truck came to pull at least one of them out, but Wheeler decided it was too dangerous.

“It’s nonsense,” Wheeler said. “If people would just stay away, it would be a whole lot better. Don’t make the job a whole lot bigger.”

Moments later, a truck drove through the water and a woman who had been walking through it jumped into the back.

Ethan Ray also drove through the swift current in an SUV with large tires.

“You got about an hour, hour and a half, and it’s going to take the road away,” Ray said.

12:40 p.m.: Gawkers turned away from Person Street bridge

Police have stopped allowing pedestrians on the Person Street bridge over the Cape Fear River. Vehicles still can cross the bridge, and media representatives are being given access to cross by foot. Police are trying to help the traffic flow on the bridge, where pedestrians have been stopping to take pictures of the river. The Grove Street bridge fully open, as is the U.S. 301 bridge over the Cape Fear River.

Water Street, which is where Breece's Landing Hall used to be located, is completely flooded out by the Person Street bridge.

Also, the water is already up to the bottom of the train trestle by the Person Street bridge. The trestle is 25 to 30 feet above ground.

12 p.m.: Buies Creek residents breathing easier

Residents of the Keith Hills neighborhood near Campbell University were breathing easier Tuesday morning as waters from the Cape Fear River appear to be receding.

“I think it crested sometime early this morning,” Bobby Womble said. He said he wasn’t nervous about the rising water because it was only predicted to get a little higher than when Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016.

“You can’t do anything about it other than leave,” he said. “If it would have gotten really bad and come into the house, we probably would have left.”

The water appeared to be at or close to some homes in the community Tuesday morning.

Harnett County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of the neighborhood on Sunday. They were concerned that the water could reach homes on the shore of the river and worried about a spillway that serves as the only way in and out of the neighborhood.

Womble said the residents were closely watching the spillway and the river.

11:41 a.m.: Fayetteville lifts overnight curfew

The overnight curfew has been lifted by the Fayetteville Police Department.

11:40 a.m.: Homes near Little River in Linden flooded

On U.S. 401 at the Little River, Dale and Angie Wood stood on the side of the road with other family members surveying the floodwaters that had risen several feet into their homes.

Dale Wood said the entire family, including his mother, brother and sister, live in four houses on 18 acres along the river. All four homes were under water.

The family had gotten most of their belongings and equipment from the property about two days before the flooding started, Angie Wood said.

Although heartbroken, the family seemed to be taking the destruction in stride.

“We’re the Woods in the water now,” Dale Wood said

Added is brother, Lynn: “We used to have riverfront property. Now we have middle of the riverfront property.''

U.S. 401 southbound was jammed with traffic as people found a new route because of road closures elsewhere.

10:47 a.m.: Fayetteville gives update on storm

The Cape Fear and Little Rivers continue to rise. The time for cresting of the Cape Fear River has moved several times and is now projected for 2 a.m. Wednesday at a height of 61.5 feet. As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Cape Fear was at 59 feet, which is above Hurricane Matthew levels.

"There is a strong potential that those who live within the 1-mile evacuation area of the Cape Fear River will be impacted by flooding. Additionally, high speed, fast-moving water with debris will likely cause bridge damage and it is advised that residents do not walk or drive on bridges that have been flooded," the city said. "Also, do not go around or move barricades in roadways. Those barricades are there to mark flooded areas and sink holes. We have had reports from the law enforcement that people are moving them, which is needlessly endangering the lives of our residents. ... Do not become complacent."

The rainfall Monday night is accumulating in tributaries and flowing into the Little River. "The Little River level will not go down quickly, contributing to the Cape Fear River’s already-overflowing banks," the release said. "This could be a long-lasting and dangerous situation that will likely not subside until well into the weekend."

10:45 a.m.: Rescues, shelters and electricity outages

There have been 81 water rescues throughout Cumberland County, with the majority around North Bragg Boulevard and Manchester Road. Water rescues were conducted by county, city of Fayetteville and the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Team.

As of 7:12 a.m., there were 1,202 people in the shelters.

For information about City of Fayetteville roads, visit the city website at fayettevillenc.gov and click on the red Hurricane Updates banner at the top of the page.

As of 5:30 p.m., Sept. 17, the Fayetteville Public Works Commission reported 2,543 Power Outages.

The bridges over the Cape Fear River, including Person and Grove streets, remain open as the waters rise above 59 feet in a serious flood stage.

Andrew Barksdale, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said they continue to monitor the bridges hourly and if it is decided they need to close due to high water levels, DOT will put up barracades and let people know on drivenc.gov and on its Twitter feed for the Fayetteville Metropolitan area.

The crest of the river is scheduled for 2 a.m. on Wednesday and is expected to be at 61.5 feet.

He said the bridges are structurally sound, and the only reason they might be closed is out of concern water may seep up into the driving lanes. He said the DOT didn't want to close the bridges early because it would be shutting down a bridge that was safe to drive on.

"We have no fear or concern the bridge will collapse or be damaged. We just don't want traffic on it when there is water over it," he said.

10:40 a.m.: People removing barricades, creating threat

Members of the public have been moving barricades from closed roads, putting other drivers at risk, said Cumberland County spokeswoman Geneve Mankel. She wants them to stop.

When other drivers come by, Mankel said, they assume that authorities have reopened the roads. They could drive into a hazard, she said.

9:55 a.m.: Hotel collapses in Spring Lake

Starlite Hotel in Spring Lake has collapsed from flooding along Little River. Water appears to be coming out of its banks around Grove Street looking towards Person Street. No other structural damage from flooding has been reported along Little River or Cape Fear River, where residents have been evacuated to escape expected flooding from Florence rains.

9:55 a.m.: Curfew still in effect

Overnight curfew in Fayetteville is still in effect until further notice, officials said.

Cape Fear River expected to crest early Wednesday morning

The Cape Fear River — which was at 59.15 feet at 7 a.m. Tuesday — is still posing a major flooding risk to residents who live within a mile of the river, the National Weather Service said.

It is not expected to crest until 2 a.m. Wednesday, when it will reach its expected crest of 61.5 feet.

By comparison, the river was an estimated 10 feet to 15 feet a couple of weeks ago.

The days of rain from Florence have caused the river to swell, and it is taking a couple of days for water in the creeks that feed into the river to push it to its crest.

[What to expect when the Cape Fear River crests]

“It is classified as a major flood and that hasn't changed,” said Ryan Ellis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

He said forecast models show that if the river reaches 61 feet, it could impact 21 buildings with an estimated damage of $1.7 million.

“Now that is just an estimate,” he said.

[WHAT’S HAPPENING: Water will haunt Carolinas after Florence]

He said with dry weather forecast through this week, the National Weather Service has a better idea of where the river is going to crest.

North Carolina Emergency Management has a website where residents can see forecasted flooding for areas around the river based on the height of the river. The website is fiman.nc.gov.

By the end of the week, the river will be 48 feet high, which is moderate flooding, Ellis said.

[PHOTOS: Florence evacuations, flooding in Fayetteville region]

People who live within a mile of the Cape Fear and Little River have been asked to evacuate in anticipation of the rivers cresting.

Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at jhenderson@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3596.

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